It's Thursday

So, we made it to Thursday.  The day after Wednesday.  The day before Friday.  Not a bad day.  Certainly better than Monday.  The heat continues here in the mid-Atlantic.  I talked to my sister in Midlothian, VA this morning and she said the weather is oppressive down there too.  The weather guy says we are in for another scorcher this weekend.  I'll be working on inside projects.  When the heat index is 110, 115, 120, it is just unbearable to be outside for too long.  The heat is so bad here this year that I have postponed my Mid-Summer Party originally scheduled for August 20 to a date that has to be determined.  I may well move this soiree to some time after Labor Day.  The weather usually starts to cool down considerably here the Tuesday after Labor Day Monday.  It always amazes me.  It's as if someone turns a switch at midnight on that Monday night and the humidity goes away and the temperatures start to cool.  Let's hope that happens this year.  Maybe I'll plan to have a gathering on September 17.  Instead of calling it a Mid-Summer Party we'll call it a Late Summer Garden Party.  That will work.  I have many ideas going through my head on how to arrange this party.  The whole thing will be covered here, from the first days of planning right through to the end of event.  I should set up a separate page entitled "Late Summer Garden Party" where I can keep all posts relating to the party for your reading pleasure.  I'll do exactly that.  I'll do it now.  Everybody stay cool and let's hope for a break in this heat as soon as possible.

It's Thursday

So, we made it to Thursday.  The day after Wednesday.  The day before Friday.  Not a bad day.  Certainly better than Monday.  The heat continues here in the mid-Atlantic.  I talked to my sister in Midlothian, VA this morning and she said the weather is oppressive down there too.  The weather guy says we are in for another scorcher this weekend.  I'll be working on inside projects.  When the heat index is 110, 115, 120, it is just unbearable to be outside for too long.  The heat is so bad here this year that I have postponed my Mid-Summer Party originally scheduled for August 20 to a date that has to be determined.  I may well move this soiree to some time after Labor Day.  The weather usually starts to cool down considerably here the Tuesday after Labor Day Monday.  It always amazes me.  It's as if someone turns a switch at midnight on that Monday night and the humidity goes away and the temperatures start to cool.  Let's hope that happens this year.  Maybe I'll plan to have a gathering on September 17.  Instead of calling it a Mid-Summer Party we'll call it a Late Summer Garden Party.  That will work.  I have many ideas going through my head on how to arrange this party.  The whole thing will be covered here, from the first days of planning right through to the end of event.  I should set up a separate page entitled "Late Summer Garden Party" where I can keep all posts relating to the party for your reading pleasure.  I'll do exactly that.  I'll do it now.  Everybody stay cool and let's hope for a break in this heat as soon as possible.

The House Wine of the South

There's nothing like a tall glass of freshly brewed iced tea on a hot summer day.  When I was growing up we were never without a pitcher of iced tea in the refrigerator.  We drank it year-round.  Good old Lipton's Iced Tea.  I thought it appropriate to share my recipe for making iced tea at this time of year, so here it is:

ICED TEA

4 regular tea bags (Orange Pekoe)

2 c. fresh cold water

Water and Ice Cubes

Granulated sugar or Simple Syrup

Lemon slices (optional)

Unwrap and carefully slide off any paper attached to the strings of the tea bags; tie the strings together and place in a heat-proof 2-quart pitcher.

Bring 2 cups cold water (always start with fresh cold water) to a rapid boil.  Remove from heat and immediately pour over the tea bags,  Allow tea to steep for 20 minutes or more.  (This process simply forms the “concentrate”.  You can store the mixture in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours).

Remove tea bags, squeeze out excess liquid (being careful to not break open the bags) and discard.  Fill the pitcher with enough water to equal 2-quarts.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled before serving.  Or to serve iced tea immediately, add a dozen or so ice cubes to tea concentrate then fill with water to the 2-quart level.

To serve, pour tea over a generous amount of ice cubes in a tall glass, stirring in desired sweetening and a squeeze of lemon, as desired.  Makes 8 servings.

SIMPLE SYRUP

In a small saucepan, stir together 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is translucent, about 30 seconds.  Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  Chill up to six months.  Makes about 1 ½ cups.

______________________________

The House Wine of the South

There's nothing like a tall glass of freshly brewed iced tea on a hot summer day.  When I was growing up we were never without a pitcher of iced tea in the refrigerator.  We drank it year-round.  Good old Lipton's Iced Tea.  I thought it appropriate to share my recipe for making iced tea at this time of year, so here it is:

ICED TEA

4 regular tea bags (Orange Pekoe)

2 c. fresh cold water

Water and Ice Cubes

Granulated sugar or Simple Syrup

Lemon slices (optional)

Unwrap and carefully slide off any paper attached to the strings of the tea bags; tie the strings together and place in a heat-proof 2-quart pitcher.

Bring 2 cups cold water (always start with fresh cold water) to a rapid boil.  Remove from heat and immediately pour over the tea bags,  Allow tea to steep for 20 minutes or more.  (This process simply forms the “concentrate”.  You can store the mixture in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours).

Remove tea bags, squeeze out excess liquid (being careful to not break open the bags) and discard.  Fill the pitcher with enough water to equal 2-quarts.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled before serving.  Or to serve iced tea immediately, add a dozen or so ice cubes to tea concentrate then fill with water to the 2-quart level.

To serve, pour tea over a generous amount of ice cubes in a tall glass, stirring in desired sweetening and a squeeze of lemon, as desired.  Makes 8 servings.

SIMPLE SYRUP

In a small saucepan, stir together 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is translucent, about 30 seconds.  Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  Chill up to six months.  Makes about 1 ½ cups.

______________________________

We actually got a few rain showers today in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC.  How wonderful.  I don't remember the last time it rained.  My poor deck plants and hanging baskets were not looking happy this morning while I was out there watering.  Let's hope a little drink from Mother Nature will turn things around.

We actually got a few rain showers today in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC.  How wonderful.  I don't remember the last time it rained.  My poor deck plants and hanging baskets were not looking happy this morning while I was out there watering.  Let's hope a little drink from Mother Nature will turn things around.

Towel Dog

http://www.welcometocrestavenue.blogspot.com/

We were invited to a 40th birthday party for our dear friend Ann on Saturday night.  The party was given by her husband George.  Really great friends and ones that we don't see nearly enough.  George sent out a really great evite to everyone and in the invitation he said that this was to be a surprise party for Ann.  He wanted everyone to arrive as close to 5:30 PM as possible because Ann was to go shopping with a girlfriend and they would return home between 5:45 PM and 6:00 PM.  We got there at 5:30 and there were other people already there and people arriving right behind us.  I decided to make a towel dog to hold the gift card.  Here is a picture of him.  The head just sits on the body so I was able to slip the gift card in the envelope under his chin.  His eyes and nose are cut from black felt and his tongue from red felt.  This was a really cute way to present a gift card.  Short end to the story - Ann and her girlfriend didn't show up until about 7:30 PM because they forgot where they parked the car and actually thought it had been stolen and called the police only to find out when the police arrived that they were looking for the car in the wrong garage.  That was the perfect ending to a perfect party.  Thanks for inviting us George.  And thanks for losing the car Ann.  We love you both!!

Towel Dog

http://www.welcometocrestavenue.blogspot.com/

We were invited to a 40th birthday party for our dear friend Ann on Saturday night.  The party was given by her husband George.  Really great friends and ones that we don't see nearly enough.  George sent out a really great evite to everyone and in the invitation he said that this was to be a surprise party for Ann.  He wanted everyone to arrive as close to 5:30 PM as possible because Ann was to go shopping with a girlfriend and they would return home between 5:45 PM and 6:00 PM.  We got there at 5:30 and there were other people already there and people arriving right behind us.  I decided to make a towel dog to hold the gift card.  Here is a picture of him.  The head just sits on the body so I was able to slip the gift card in the envelope under his chin.  His eyes and nose are cut from black felt and his tongue from red felt.  This was a really cute way to present a gift card.  Short end to the story - Ann and her girlfriend didn't show up until about 7:30 PM because they forgot where they parked the car and actually thought it had been stolen and called the police only to find out when the police arrived that they were looking for the car in the wrong garage.  That was the perfect ending to a perfect party.  Thanks for inviting us George.  And thanks for losing the car Ann.  We love you both!!

Man, it's hot outside

So this morning our local weather guy casually informed us that it will be over 100 degrees and with the humidity it will feel like 115 to 120 degrees.  What?  That is crazy.  The sprinklers went off on time this morning and I watered the deck plants and the pots and hanging baskets by hand.  No matter how much you water the plants just look droopy.  This oppressive heat is more than they can take even with daily watering.  But you must water everyday when the heat is this intense or they simply will not make it.  The heatwave continues through the weekend, so there will be no continued work on the sidewalk this weekend.  I'll be working inside in cool comfort.

I'm not even going to the grocery store.  I'll have Peapod deliver groceries for the week on Sunday.  Peapod is a local delivery chain that is part of the Giant Food Stores.  They can be accessed online at http://www.peapod.com/.  Most every item you can get in the store, you can order through Peapod.  You browse the online aisles, select your items, place them in your basket and then checkout.  At checkout you select your delivery day and time.  You can store a credit card number on their site or you can pay by direct check.  (You save $1.00 on each order if you pay by direct check).  You can have an "attended" delivery or an "unattended" delivery which is basically just that; you are either there to accept the groceries or they leave them in boxes for when you return.  Refrigerated or frozen foods are delivered in insulated boxes with ice packs.  The ice packs last for a good long time.  I think Peapod suggests you bring those items in within 4 hours of delivery.  I can tell you that I've pushed that number a few times and maybe even gone over it and the items were still cold.  They offer a full range of delivery dates and times but no Saturday delivery.  If I get an attended delivery I normally tip the driver anywhere from $2 - $5.  The drivers are very friendly and always offer to bring the groceries inside and into the kitchen but I tell them to leave them just inside the front door and I go through the bags after they leave and put everything away.  There is a $60 minimum order which is never a problem for me.  The delivery charge starts at $9.95 at the $60 level and goes down the more you spend.  If they are going to be late they call and let you know.  This is a wonderful service and for busy people, like all of us, it is a great way to save time.  No driving to the store, parking, walking through the store, standing in checkout lines, packing the car and driving back home.  You might think initially that the delivery charge is a little high, but just think about how much time you are saving and the value of your time.  I will gladly pay $9.95 for the convenience.  I didn't mean to get off on a tangent about Peapod but I guess I did.  If you do not have Peapod in your area, go online and see if there are local grocery delivery services close by.  You will be asking yourself right away, "Why didn't I think of this earlier."

And for those in the Peapod delivery areas, don't forget Peapod Mobile!!

Man, it's hot outside

So this morning our local weather guy casually informed us that it will be over 100 degrees and with the humidity it will feel like 115 to 120 degrees.  What?  That is crazy.  The sprinklers went off on time this morning and I watered the deck plants and the pots and hanging baskets by hand.  No matter how much you water the plants just look droopy.  This oppressive heat is more than they can take even with daily watering.  But you must water everyday when the heat is this intense or they simply will not make it.  The heatwave continues through the weekend, so there will be no continued work on the sidewalk this weekend.  I'll be working inside in cool comfort.

I'm not even going to the grocery store.  I'll have Peapod deliver groceries for the week on Sunday.  Peapod is a local delivery chain that is part of the Giant Food Stores.  They can be accessed online at http://www.peapod.com/.  Most every item you can get in the store, you can order through Peapod.  You browse the online aisles, select your items, place them in your basket and then checkout.  At checkout you select your delivery day and time.  You can store a credit card number on their site or you can pay by direct check.  (You save $1.00 on each order if you pay by direct check).  You can have an "attended" delivery or an "unattended" delivery which is basically just that; you are either there to accept the groceries or they leave them in boxes for when you return.  Refrigerated or frozen foods are delivered in insulated boxes with ice packs.  The ice packs last for a good long time.  I think Peapod suggests you bring those items in within 4 hours of delivery.  I can tell you that I've pushed that number a few times and maybe even gone over it and the items were still cold.  They offer a full range of delivery dates and times but no Saturday delivery.  If I get an attended delivery I normally tip the driver anywhere from $2 - $5.  The drivers are very friendly and always offer to bring the groceries inside and into the kitchen but I tell them to leave them just inside the front door and I go through the bags after they leave and put everything away.  There is a $60 minimum order which is never a problem for me.  The delivery charge starts at $9.95 at the $60 level and goes down the more you spend.  If they are going to be late they call and let you know.  This is a wonderful service and for busy people, like all of us, it is a great way to save time.  No driving to the store, parking, walking through the store, standing in checkout lines, packing the car and driving back home.  You might think initially that the delivery charge is a little high, but just think about how much time you are saving and the value of your time.  I will gladly pay $9.95 for the convenience.  I didn't mean to get off on a tangent about Peapod but I guess I did.  If you do not have Peapod in your area, go online and see if there are local grocery delivery services close by.  You will be asking yourself right away, "Why didn't I think of this earlier."

And for those in the Peapod delivery areas, don't forget Peapod Mobile!!

Crocs to the Rescue

I cannot take anymore conversation about the heat and humidity that is plaguing us here in Maryland.  So today we're going to talk about Crocs.  Have you ever worn a pair of Crocs?  If you have not, I highly recommend you try a pair.  I am in love with these shoes.  They are the most comfortable and durable shoes ever made.  And, they are priced so that everybody can enjoy them.  I am thinking about putting all of my existing shoes in storage bags and making space for them on the shelving in the basement and ordering an entire new set of shoes from Crocs.  The website is easy to navigate (http://www.crocs.com/).  Their selection is vast for men, women and children.  If you only order one pair to try them out, it will be worth your time and money.  I just ordered these this morning:

They are called "Crocband for Men" in Black and they are $39.99.  There are a multitude of colors.  There is Black/Graphite, Black/Kelly Green, Stucco/Khaki, Aqua/Seafoam and many, many more.  On this particular style I counted 20 different colors and if you are a fan of yellow, they have a pair of yellow with the white stripes as you see here for $29.99.  Where are you going to find shoes, of any kind, that start at $29.99.  And comfortable and durable shoes for $29.99!  You won't.  I wear these shoes when I am working in the garden.  I use them when I am on the treadmill.  They are very comfortable to wear on the treadmill.  There is plenty of cushion in the sole and they are ventilated so they are much more comfortable than wearing laced up tennis or running shoes.  Give them a try.  You'll be glad you did. 

Crocs to the Rescue

I cannot take anymore conversation about the heat and humidity that is plaguing us here in Maryland.  So today we're going to talk about Crocs.  Have you ever worn a pair of Crocs?  If you have not, I highly recommend you try a pair.  I am in love with these shoes.  They are the most comfortable and durable shoes ever made.  And, they are priced so that everybody can enjoy them.  I am thinking about putting all of my existing shoes in storage bags and making space for them on the shelving in the basement and ordering an entire new set of shoes from Crocs.  The website is easy to navigate (http://www.crocs.com/).  Their selection is vast for men, women and children.  If you only order one pair to try them out, it will be worth your time and money.  I just ordered these this morning:

They are called "Crocband for Men" in Black and they are $39.99.  There are a multitude of colors.  There is Black/Graphite, Black/Kelly Green, Stucco/Khaki, Aqua/Seafoam and many, many more.  On this particular style I counted 20 different colors and if you are a fan of yellow, they have a pair of yellow with the white stripes as you see here for $29.99.  Where are you going to find shoes, of any kind, that start at $29.99.  And comfortable and durable shoes for $29.99!  You won't.  I wear these shoes when I am working in the garden.  I use them when I am on the treadmill.  They are very comfortable to wear on the treadmill.  There is plenty of cushion in the sole and they are ventilated so they are much more comfortable than wearing laced up tennis or running shoes.  Give them a try.  You'll be glad you did. 

Don't forget to water

Just a quick reminder to everyone to water, water, water during these blazing hot days of summer.  This is good advice for everyone across the country since we all seem to be in the same boat with the excessive heat and lack of rain right now.  Plants that were put in during the spring will need extra attention during this time as will anything in pots.  I let the petunias in the hanging baskets out front dry out and now I am (they are) paying for that mistake.  I think I caught them in time and they will come back, but they are not happy right now.  I have two sprinklers in the back yard and I let them run for at least 30 minutes in the morning.  I run them independently.  So it's 30 minutes with the large sprinkler (which covers 5800 square feet and was the only sprinkler that would cover the far end of my back yard) and 30 minutes with the smaller sprinkler that is closer to the house and covers the ferns and hostas and other other ornamentals.  I water the deck plants with rain water from the rain barrel, which went dry this morning.  So I had to resort to using the hose.  The plants prefer the rain water because it is without all the chemicals found in the processed water from the Blue Plains Water Treatment plant.  But, it will have to do until we get some rain.  The front yard has a similar arrangement of sprinklers and I run those for 20 minutes each morning because they are covering a much smaller area than the sprinklers in the back yard.  Everyone stay cool!!

Don't forget to water

Just a quick reminder to everyone to water, water, water during these blazing hot days of summer.  This is good advice for everyone across the country since we all seem to be in the same boat with the excessive heat and lack of rain right now.  Plants that were put in during the spring will need extra attention during this time as will anything in pots.  I let the petunias in the hanging baskets out front dry out and now I am (they are) paying for that mistake.  I think I caught them in time and they will come back, but they are not happy right now.  I have two sprinklers in the back yard and I let them run for at least 30 minutes in the morning.  I run them independently.  So it's 30 minutes with the large sprinkler (which covers 5800 square feet and was the only sprinkler that would cover the far end of my back yard) and 30 minutes with the smaller sprinkler that is closer to the house and covers the ferns and hostas and other other ornamentals.  I water the deck plants with rain water from the rain barrel, which went dry this morning.  So I had to resort to using the hose.  The plants prefer the rain water because it is without all the chemicals found in the processed water from the Blue Plains Water Treatment plant.  But, it will have to do until we get some rain.  The front yard has a similar arrangement of sprinklers and I run those for 20 minutes each morning because they are covering a much smaller area than the sprinklers in the back yard.  Everyone stay cool!!

Leave me alone or I'll sting you

And I found out that is exactly what will happen this past weekend.  I was trimming the boxwoods along the east side of the house with the manual hedge trimmers.  I was making my way down the row, chopping away and when I got to the very last boxwood I evidently upset a visiting wasp who then proceeded to let me know just how upset he was.  I was topping each of the bowoods to give them a uniform height and I noticed when I made the very first cut on this end boxwood that something flew out of it.  It didn't take long for me to find out what that something was.  He made his way to my ring finger on my left hand and got a good grip on it and stung away.  All I can say is it was very painful.  I threw the hedge clippers, flicked him off my finger and made my way inside.  Always leave the area where you have been stung because they send off a scent that alerts other wasps in the area that danger (that being me) is near and the others come to their aid.  So get out of there as soon as possible.  I went inside and made a mixture of apple cider vinegar and baking soda, the same remedy my mother always used for us when we were children.  I don't know how much to tell you to mix together.  Believe me, when you are standing in the kitchen with a painful wasp sting, you are not going to be worried about getting out the measuring spoons and precisely measuring anything.  Just pour some vinegar and baking soda in a glass and mix it up with a spoon or a butter knife or a fork or a toothpick of whatever you can find - your finger - whatever.  Just get it mixed up and then apply that solution to the bee sting.  Takes the pain away immediately.  Some say it helps draw out the poison from the sting, but I don't know if that is actually true.  But I do know that it stops the pain and that is what is most important.  I also took a Benadryl right away.  Of course, if you are allergic to bee stings, then find your epi-pen or get to a hospital right away.  Don't waste time mixing up vinegar and baking soda.  I don't think I have been stung by a bee or a wasp since I was about 11 years old until the past weekend.  Luckily I seem still to not be allergic to the sting.  The spot where I was stung hurt for a few hours and then eventually it stopped and everything returned to normal.  And that's my bee story and hopefully my final bee story for the season.

Leave me alone or I'll sting you

And I found out that is exactly what will happen this past weekend.  I was trimming the boxwoods along the east side of the house with the manual hedge trimmers.  I was making my way down the row, chopping away and when I got to the very last boxwood I evidently upset a visiting wasp who then proceeded to let me know just how upset he was.  I was topping each of the bowoods to give them a uniform height and I noticed when I made the very first cut on this end boxwood that something flew out of it.  It didn't take long for me to find out what that something was.  He made his way to my ring finger on my left hand and got a good grip on it and stung away.  All I can say is it was very painful.  I threw the hedge clippers, flicked him off my finger and made my way inside.  Always leave the area where you have been stung because they send off a scent that alerts other wasps in the area that danger (that being me) is near and the others come to their aid.  So get out of there as soon as possible.  I went inside and made a mixture of apple cider vinegar and baking soda, the same remedy my mother always used for us when we were children.  I don't know how much to tell you to mix together.  Believe me, when you are standing in the kitchen with a painful wasp sting, you are not going to be worried about getting out the measuring spoons and precisely measuring anything.  Just pour some vinegar and baking soda in a glass and mix it up with a spoon or a butter knife or a fork or a toothpick of whatever you can find - your finger - whatever.  Just get it mixed up and then apply that solution to the bee sting.  Takes the pain away immediately.  Some say it helps draw out the poison from the sting, but I don't know if that is actually true.  But I do know that it stops the pain and that is what is most important.  I also took a Benadryl right away.  Of course, if you are allergic to bee stings, then find your epi-pen or get to a hospital right away.  Don't waste time mixing up vinegar and baking soda.  I don't think I have been stung by a bee or a wasp since I was about 11 years old until the past weekend.  Luckily I seem still to not be allergic to the sting.  The spot where I was stung hurt for a few hours and then eventually it stopped and everything returned to normal.  And that's my bee story and hopefully my final bee story for the season.

Black Swan

We had movie night on Saturday night with our dear friend Lea.  Our selection for the evening was Black Swan.  Let's see.  Where do I start?  This is a very deep and brooding movie.  Kind of heavy.  It is certainly outside of the norm so I enjoyed it, but if you are feeling the least bit depressed or blue from just everyday life, I'd go with another selection until you are feeling better or until the Lexapro kicks in.  We took a couple intermissions to replenish wine glasses and for bathroom breaks, which is one of the advantages of watching a movie on a home theater system rather than in the local theater (not to mention you don't have to deal with traffic to get there and get back or the weather or loud people in the audience or uncomfortable theater seating.)  Lea prepared and brought popcorn in some plain brown lunch bags and taught us how to make popcorn in the microwave.  It's actually very simple.  You just pour in approximately 1/4 cup of popcorn of your choice (we used Orville Redenbacher), roll the top of the bag down a few rolls to keep the heat inside the bag and place the bag in the center of the microwave.  Set the timer for 3 minutes but watch it carefully.  As soon as the popping slows or stops, take the bag out and you have wonderfully fresh popcorn without all the chemicals that are in traditional microwave popcorn and without all the oil used to make popcorn on the stovetop.  You can add what you like after it is done popping.  We opted to go au naturel and have it with no seasonings at all.  But a little salt sprinkled over the top or some parmesan cheese would have been good.  I'm a fan of the no-salt potato chips, so having this popcorn without salt was not a problem for me.  I know that's weird, especially since I have been a salt-o-holic for years, but I rather like the natural flavor of the chips or the popcorn without salt.  A little melted butter would make this delicious too.  So there's no need to run out and buy an air popcorn popper.  You can do it right in the microwave.  Delish!!

Black Swan

We had movie night on Saturday night with our dear friend Lea.  Our selection for the evening was Black Swan.  Let's see.  Where do I start?  This is a very deep and brooding movie.  Kind of heavy.  It is certainly outside of the norm so I enjoyed it, but if you are feeling the least bit depressed or blue from just everyday life, I'd go with another selection until you are feeling better or until the Lexapro kicks in.  We took a couple intermissions to replenish wine glasses and for bathroom breaks, which is one of the advantages of watching a movie on a home theater system rather than in the local theater (not to mention you don't have to deal with traffic to get there and get back or the weather or loud people in the audience or uncomfortable theater seating.)  Lea prepared and brought popcorn in some plain brown lunch bags and taught us how to make popcorn in the microwave.  It's actually very simple.  You just pour in approximately 1/4 cup of popcorn of your choice (we used Orville Redenbacher), roll the top of the bag down a few rolls to keep the heat inside the bag and place the bag in the center of the microwave.  Set the timer for 3 minutes but watch it carefully.  As soon as the popping slows or stops, take the bag out and you have wonderfully fresh popcorn without all the chemicals that are in traditional microwave popcorn and without all the oil used to make popcorn on the stovetop.  You can add what you like after it is done popping.  We opted to go au naturel and have it with no seasonings at all.  But a little salt sprinkled over the top or some parmesan cheese would have been good.  I'm a fan of the no-salt potato chips, so having this popcorn without salt was not a problem for me.  I know that's weird, especially since I have been a salt-o-holic for years, but I rather like the natural flavor of the chips or the popcorn without salt.  A little melted butter would make this delicious too.  So there's no need to run out and buy an air popcorn popper.  You can do it right in the microwave.  Delish!!

Petunia-mania!

Beautiful this year.  They like it here on the steps to the deck.  They receive shade in the morning and probably 2 or 3 hours of sun in the early afternoon.

Petunia-mania!

Beautiful this year.  They like it here on the steps to the deck.  They receive shade in the morning and probably 2 or 3 hours of sun in the early afternoon.

More Pavers! More Mulch!

Work continues on the sidewalk.  You can see here the pavers that I started installing this weekend.  I used a bag of paver sand from Lowe's to help level out the ground.  I really like the way this is looking.  I think the combination of the mulch and the pavers will be a nice look rather than using just one of either medium.  You see the bricks to the left there that I removed.  I started the sidewalk project earlier in the spring by taking bricks from the brick pile I have amassed over the years.  I spent probably the first 3 years pulling bricks out of the yard.  I don't know what the previous owners did but the front and the back yard was full of bricks.  There was no rhyme nor reason to their placement.  Just bricks.  Strange.  But I decided not to use the bricks so these will be returned to the brick pile for possibly another project.  I think one more weekend and we'll have this project finished.  (Looks like I caught the sprinkler in this picture.  If you look carefully, and to the left, you will see the water spraying just behind the holly bushes.)

More Pavers! More Mulch!

Work continues on the sidewalk.  You can see here the pavers that I started installing this weekend.  I used a bag of paver sand from Lowe's to help level out the ground.  I really like the way this is looking.  I think the combination of the mulch and the pavers will be a nice look rather than using just one of either medium.  You see the bricks to the left there that I removed.  I started the sidewalk project earlier in the spring by taking bricks from the brick pile I have amassed over the years.  I spent probably the first 3 years pulling bricks out of the yard.  I don't know what the previous owners did but the front and the back yard was full of bricks.  There was no rhyme nor reason to their placement.  Just bricks.  Strange.  But I decided not to use the bricks so these will be returned to the brick pile for possibly another project.  I think one more weekend and we'll have this project finished.  (Looks like I caught the sprinkler in this picture.  If you look carefully, and to the left, you will see the water spraying just behind the holly bushes.)

That looks like Baxter in a sea of ferns

It IS Baxter in a sea of ferns!  We ran out at 7:30 this morning to fill up the car and make a quick stop at Lowe's to pick up some ferns.  We actually arrived at Lowe's at 7:45 AM, which was 15 minutes before they open on Sunday.  So we went to the market next door and picked up a few essentials for the week and then went back to Lowe's for ferns.  He had not had breakfast yet and, . . . well, . . . he's looking very much like he wants to get out of the car and have breakfast and not be "model puppy."  So right after these shots, he got his breakfast and then found a spot in the sun to take a nap.

That looks like Baxter in a sea of ferns

It IS Baxter in a sea of ferns!  We ran out at 7:30 this morning to fill up the car and make a quick stop at Lowe's to pick up some ferns.  We actually arrived at Lowe's at 7:45 AM, which was 15 minutes before they open on Sunday.  So we went to the market next door and picked up a few essentials for the week and then went back to Lowe's for ferns.  He had not had breakfast yet and, . . . well, . . . he's looking very much like he wants to get out of the car and have breakfast and not be "model puppy."  So right after these shots, he got his breakfast and then found a spot in the sun to take a nap.

It's been a busy weekend at Crest Avenue

So, we'll start with the new sidewalk in the back yard.  Originally I decided to go with brown rubber mulch for the entire sidewalk, as you will see in this picture.  But I have decided now to do a combination of rubber mulch and pavers.  The plastic edging you see in this picture is from Lowe's and it is newly designed.  Rather than having to dig a trench and then push the edging into the trench and fill with topsoil or some other filler to hold it in place, this edging comes with a series of tabs that lay flat on the ground.  You just position the edging where you want it and use the plastic stakes included in the box to secure it in place.  Much, much easier than the old way and it looks the same.  I put weed barrier down and then placed the mulch on top (you will see a some of the barrier peeking through on the left side).  You can easily fold the fabric barrier under and then push the mulch against the edging.  There is no need to cut it.  Even though this new edging saved me an enormous amount of time, this is definitely a two weekend job.  I will post the completed pictures next weekend and you will be able to see the combination of rubber mulch and pavers.  I think it will be a very nice look.

It's been a busy weekend at Crest Avenue

So, we'll start with the new sidewalk in the back yard.  Originally I decided to go with brown rubber mulch for the entire sidewalk, as you will see in this picture.  But I have decided now to do a combination of rubber mulch and pavers.  The plastic edging you see in this picture is from Lowe's and it is newly designed.  Rather than having to dig a trench and then push the edging into the trench and fill with topsoil or some other filler to hold it in place, this edging comes with a series of tabs that lay flat on the ground.  You just position the edging where you want it and use the plastic stakes included in the box to secure it in place.  Much, much easier than the old way and it looks the same.  I put weed barrier down and then placed the mulch on top (you will see a some of the barrier peeking through on the left side).  You can easily fold the fabric barrier under and then push the mulch against the edging.  There is no need to cut it.  Even though this new edging saved me an enormous amount of time, this is definitely a two weekend job.  I will post the completed pictures next weekend and you will be able to see the combination of rubber mulch and pavers.  I think it will be a very nice look.